A Pledge To Protect
by thedarklady2008
Summary: This is a one-shot of Inuyasha's parents. I'm considering this as a multi-chaptered story in the future. So if you think this should be longer let me know. Please R&R! Enjoy


A Pledge To Protect

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in this story *shed a tear*

The palace of Setsuna looked beautiful against the rising sun. Cherry blossoms began to bloom in accordance to nature. The once snow-covered grass was as lush and green as ever before. The sky showed no sign of a gentle spring shower. Izayoi could roll around all day if she wanted to. Yes, today would be the perfect day for a wedding. Today was going to be the happiest day of her life…

Suddenly, the demon she loathed popped up in her mind. Well, she might not loathe him as much as she used to. He was becoming a close friend to her until he left. Ever since then, her short-tempered friend was on her mind a lot. Though she was too stubborn to admit it, sometimes the Western Lord was all she thought about. His leaving scarred her deeply. Izayoi stared out the window with her sleeping attire still on. The sun was almost above the horizon when she heard foot falls coming from behind her. She slowly turned around, and gasped in dismay. Her mouth hung open as she stared at her intruder who was none other than the Great Lord of the West. Once she was able to register who stood before her she turned away with a huff. A look of anger was evident on her face as she closed her eyes and said, "What are you doing here? Why didn't you say you were coming? Oh! I forgot. Since you don't say when you're leaving, saying hello wouldn't be appropriate now would it?"

"Izayoi, please…" said the Western Lord. His normally cold, unfeeling eyes beckoned to the young lady before him. If Izayoi had seen them at that moment she would have stopped herself, but she continued, "You were my best friend…my only friend…but now look what at you've done? Do you realize what you put me through?"

"Izayoi…"

"…Or do you even care? I guess Takemaru was right all along, you're a demon. Demons don't feel anything. All they care about is power. I guess it's not surprising for a strong demon like you who claims the whole Western region of Japan!"

The Lord could not bare it any longer. As suddenly as he had appeared he turned Izayoi around and grabbed her hands in one swift movement. Izayoi was overcome with shock not only at his actions, but at the anger that washed over his face. Her cheeks blushed crimson at his overwhelmingly close distance.

"Now, listen here, Izayoi! What in seven hells would make you think I didn't care about you?!"

Her temper flared at his words when she quickly retorted, "Leaving without a word of goodbye to me justifies those thoughts!"

"Don't be so stupid!"

"Then why did you leave!"

"I was afraid!"

"Of what?!"

The Lord froze. He averted his attention from her deep brown eyes which made her temper escalate even more. She continued, "What could you, The Great Dog Demon of the West, be afraid of?"

A shadow cast over his eyes as he said, "You."

Izayoi froze. She was unable to comprehend his meaning. "What?"

At the moment she spoke, the Great Dog Demon let go of her hands, stood up, and turned away from her. He then said, "All of my life, I was told that humans were weak, insignificant creatures that didn't deserve a second of my time, and I believed it."

Izayoi looked at him with astonishment. The Lord she remembered never talked like this. All she could do was gaze at him as the light canopied over his tall form. He continued, "I despised your kind with a fiery passion. Though my upbringing had something to do with it, I had my own rationalization of why humans were so despicable. They fought over the stupidest things such as land, power, money, and most of the time, it was all a matter of pride. They didn't seem to care whose lives were lost in order to attain their deepest, darkest desires. Though all of those things are truly horrible, what I hated most was their lack of strength. Therefore, I could've cared less about humans. I didn't care whether they rotted into dust because of my own actions. It wasn't until I met you that I questioned my opinion about your kind. Do you remember when we first met?"

Izayoi nodded. She frowned a bit…thinking about the grave circumstances that lead to their meeting. Her village had been destroyed by the ruthless Ryukotsei, and she and her widowed father had to stay at the Palace of Setsuna temporarily so her father could get their land up and running again. She remembered feeling a strong sense of guilt. While she was safely transported to a new castle, all of the peasants that occupied their land were either dead or had nowhere to go. They were living a life of misery while she lived in luxury. This troubled every fiber of her being until she was almost a lifeless shell. Then one night, she decided to take a moonlit stroll, and heard aggressive voices in combat that she soon recognized as demons judging by the way they were fighting. She was going to run quickly away from them before they wanted her as a midnight snack, but she heard one the demon's names was Ryukotsei, the demon that reduced her father's land to bones and dust. Once she heard that, she through all caution to the wind, and her infamous, courageous fire flared once more.

Izayoi did not realize her recklessness until she stood in front of both demons, telling Ryukotsei off for the damage he caused not only on her father's land, but in the hearts of all who resided in it. Taken aback by her foolishness, Ryukotsei attempted to kill her, but the Lord of the West stood in front of her, shielding her from her impending doom which befell him instead. He clutched his wounds with a grimace. Perplexed by the lord's actions, Izayoi stood there, frozen on the spot, still trying to make sense of what the powerful dog demon had done.

"Milord, I'd never guessed that you of all demons were merciful towards humans." Ryukotsei scorned. "Why would you defend a helpless human like her? You're one of the most powerful demons in all of the land. Why put that on the line for a human…you reckless dog?!"

The Western Lord growled angrily at his words. Then turned when Izayoi said, "Excuse me, thank you, for saving my life. I appreciate it. Do you mind me looking at your wounds?"

At that moment is when it all began. The demon lord's wounds were so serious he needed attentive care that could only be given to the Palace of Setsuna at the time. Everyone was shocked to see Izayoi come in with the wounded demon lord on her shoulder. Her father was worried at first, but did not argue with his daughter's wishes since her true self seemed to be rising up from the ashes. However, Takemaru, the Lord of Setsuna, was harder to convince. He was adamantly against having a demon in his palace. Though Izayoi did not know it at the time, Takemaru intended to marry her, and therefore desired her approval. So, he unwillingly gave in. From then on, they had a wonderful friendship. Then, he left suddenly without any indication that he was leaving. Soon after that, she reduced back to the empty shell she once was. In an effort to raise her spirits once again, Takemaru asked her to marry him. When she said no, he took the matter to her father who convinced Izayoi to reconsider. She began to convince herself that she could be happy with Lord Takemaru which was a lie she continued to perceive as a truth. Now, here they were on her wedding day…reflecting on those past events that seemed so long ago. She was taken out of her nostalgia when the Western Lord said, "I was impressed with what you said to Ryukotsei. Full-fledged demons don't have the guts to say what you said to him."

"But it was foolish of me," said Izayoi. The Lord smiled to himself and continued, "Well, I thought it was the most courageous thing I had seen…out of a human anyway."

"No matter how courageous it sounded you were the one that paid for it."

"I was glad to, Izayoi."

She looked at him quizzically with a singular eyebrow raised. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"You changed me, Izayoi, and I am forever grateful for it. However, a relationship between a demon and a human is unorthodox, and not to mention impossibly grievous…especially on your part."

"I don't care. I want to be with you again. Those months away from you were torture."

"You think that's torture? Being seen with a demon like me will be even worse!"

Finally, the demon lord turned around to look at the young maiden. His quick temper resonated once again. "Demons like Ryukotsei will be out to get you, hurt you, or maybe even kill you in order to get close to me!

"Izayoi…" he said as he proceeded to put his hands on her shoulders, "I'd give up everything I have: my strength, my power, my palace, my land, my pride, and even my own life for your safety. The very thought of you being hurt puts me in a state of deep despair."

Izayoi's eyes widened at his proclamation. Even her already blushed cheeks reddened under his golden gaze. He stood up and opened the shoji screen door as he said, "I've made a decision. Though I cannot be with you, I will always be there to protect you with the sword, Tetsaiga, I had forged from my own fang."

"Why? Why do you want to protect me so much?"

"I love you, Izayoi, and please forget it before I change my mind," and before she could have a chance to reply he fled through the door leaving Izayoi dazed beyond her comprehension.


End file.
